North Dakota congressman, Rep. Kevin Cramer took to Facebook to defend his vote to kick veterans, the elderly and children off of food assistance. His response was shocking. He replied by quoting the Bible,’If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.’
Here is a constituent’s post on Rep. Cramer’s Facebook wall followed by the Republican congressman’s reply:
Rep. Cramer assumed that the people that he voted to deny food assistance to are lazy. Cramer used a biblical verse to condemn poor people as lazy.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
The truth is:
Specifically, Rep. Cramer voted to deny food to 1.8 million low-income seniors and people in low-income working families, 170,000 veterans, 210,000 children would lose school breakfasts and lunches in 2014.
Seventy six percent of the households that rely on food assistance include children, the elderly and the disabled. Fifty eight percent of the households with a working non-disabled adult that receive food assistance are 130% below the poverty line. It is absolutely stunning how wrong Rep. Cramer was about the people who rely on food assistance. The people in SNAP aren’t lazy. They are the elderly, children, the disabled, and the working poor.
The eligibility changes that Rep. Cramer voted for will result in millions of adults and children not being eligible for food assistance in the coming years. Even worse, Kevin Cramer told 210,000 hungry kids for whom their school breakfast and lunch are their only meals of the day that they are lazy and undeserving of help. Cramer’s comment is right in line with Newt Gingrich’s child janitor’s scheme during the 2012 presidential campaign.
Republicans are kidding themselves if they think that their vote to deny food to 3.8 million Americans was targeting lazy people who won’t work. These cuts were about punishing the poor, not eliminating waste.
Taking away from kids was bad enough, but telling them that they don’t deserve to eat unless they get a job is even worse.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
